By Floyd Godfrey, PhD

Pornography has become one of the most pervasive moral and developmental threats facing families today. What was once difficult to access and often hidden in secrecy has now become widely available through nearly every internet-connected device. The modern digital landscape has transformed pornography from a fringe temptation into a mainstream and relentless presence, affecting children, adolescents, and adults at increasingly younger ages. Christian parents and church leaders must understand both the scope of this issue and the spiritual dangers it presents.

Weiss and Glaser (2021) observe that today’s children have “absorbed and internalized the availability of pornography and our culturally blasé attitude toward it” (p. 10). This statement reflects a troubling reality. Many children are growing up in a culture where pornography is not merely accessible, but normalized. Media portrayals, peer conversations, social media trends, and even entertainment platforms often treat sexualized content as harmless or expected. This normalization reduces natural caution and weakens moral boundaries.

The accessibility of pornography is unprecedented. Weiss and Glaser (2021) explain, “The reality for many kids today is that they can access pornography on TV channels at home, on phones and gaming systems their parents gave them, and on tablets and laptops supplied by their schools” (p. 10). In previous generations, exposure to explicit sexual material often required deliberate effort. Now, children can encounter pornography accidentally or intentionally within moments, often through devices entrusted to them for education or communication. The very tools intended to help children learn and connect can become gateways to destructive content.

This issue is particularly concerning because pornography exploits natural God-given desires. Weiss and Glaser (2021) write, “Because of those influences and the reality that viewing porn feels good, because God made sex to feel good, otherwise good kids are getting pulled into a sexually immoral world for which they’re unprepared, attacked by a spiritual enemy of whom they’re unaware, and assaulted by content their hearts and minds were never created to handle” (p. 11). Scripture teaches that sexual desire within God’s design is good and holy. However, pornography distorts that design, hijacking healthy sexual development and redirecting desire toward fantasy, objectification, and sin.

Parents must also recognize that pornography today differs dramatically from what previous generations encountered. Weiss and Glaser (2021) emphasize, “It’s important for parents to understand how significantly pornography has changed over time” (p. 11). The internet has not merely increased access, it has radically altered the nature of pornography consumption. Today’s pornography is more graphic, more violent, more extreme, and more psychologically manipulative than in decades past. It is designed to capture attention, escalate stimulation, and encourage compulsive use.

The pivotal turning point came with digital technology. Weiss and Glaser (2021) explain, “Everything changed with the internet. Social use and acceptance of pornography exploded in the late 1990’s through a phenomenon clinical psychologist and researcher Dr. Alvin Cooper called ‘the Triple A’ effect of internet pornography: Anonymous, Affordable and Accessible” (p. 11). This “Triple A” effect helps explain why pornography use has spread so rapidly. The internet removed many of the traditional barriers of embarrassment, cost, and effort. Individuals no longer need to risk public exposure or significant expense to obtain explicit material. Instead, pornography is available privately, instantly, and often free of charge.

For Christian families, the perniciousness of pornography lies not only in its accessibility but in its capacity to shape beliefs, behaviors, and relationships. Pornography teaches false narratives about intimacy, reduces human beings to objects of gratification, and undermines God’s design for covenantal sexuality within marriage. It can contribute to addiction, relational dissatisfaction, emotional detachment, and spiritual shame. For children and adolescents, early exposure can disrupt healthy identity formation and warp expectations regarding sex and relationships.

The church must not respond to this issue with silence or denial. Parents need equipping, churches need open conversations, and families need practical safeguards. Device accountability, internet filtering, age-appropriate discussions about sexuality, and intentional discipleship are essential tools in protecting children and preparing them to live faithfully in a pornographic culture. Most importantly, parents and pastors must address pornography not merely as a behavioral issue, but as a spiritual battle requiring truth, grace, and biblical formation.

Pornography has become pernicious because it is no longer hidden at the margins of society. It is woven into the digital infrastructure of modern life and reinforced by a culture increasingly indifferent to its dangers. Christian families who ignore its presence do so at great risk. Vigilance, education, and Christ-centered discipleship are necessary if parents hope to help the next generation navigate this challenge with wisdom and purity.

Floyd Godfrey PhD is a Board Certified Christian Counselor and has facilitated groups within different churches and denominations over the past 30 years. He worked as a licensed clinician for 23 years and provided supervision and training for other counselors as they worked toward independent licensure. You can read more about Floyd Godfrey PhD at www.FloydGodfrey.com.

Reference

Weiss, D., & Glaser, J. (2021). Treading boldly through a pornographic world: A field guide for parents. Salem Press.